


Complimentary Strengths

by Faithful_Sigyn



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV)
Genre: Bickering, Both successful criminals, Escape, Handcuffed Together, M/M, Nygmobblepot, Riddler and Penguin, Written with shipped in mind but can easily be read as friends, but in the way only friends can, with the help of their own unique strengths, working together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-11-18 11:11:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11289543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faithful_Sigyn/pseuds/Faithful_Sigyn
Summary: After a heist doesn't quite go perfectly to plan, Edward and Oswald (in full Riddler and Penguin style) find themselves handcuffed together in the back of a police car, and have to work together to get free.





	Complimentary Strengths

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a dialogue prompt by clean-prompts on Tumblr (re-posted from my blog, thepuzzlepirate):  
> “Get away from me.”  
> “I would–if we weren’t handcuffed together! Oh, and whose fault is that again? Yours!”
> 
> Written as a shipped piece, but can be read as close friends as well.

**“Get away from me.”**

**“I would if we weren’t handcuffed together! Oh, and whose fault is that again? Yours!”**

To be fair to Oswald though, Edward did have quite a skill when it came to blaming others for things he was responsible for. And they were definitely both to blame for this particular situation. Edward would forever maintain that the crime itself was flawless - it was simple, elegant, and his illustrious mind had been the one to concoct all the details so of course it was perfect - and the fault came entirely from the execution by Oswald’s thugs. Oswald on the other hand, would forever contest this by saying no matter how well planned the details were, if Ed wanted to stop and monologue for the GCPD the moment they entered, the crime was never going to be a successful one.

**“Well at least keep your hands to yourself then,”** the infamous Penguin snapped back at his green-clad companion as they waited very impatiently in the back of a car while the police officers who had slapped the cuffs on them in the first place stood around and laughed about their victory a few feet away. It wasn’t one of the patrol cars at least, a fact that slightly lessened the embarrassment of this particular moment, just a car belonging to one of the officers. That had been entirely due to the explosives Ed had managed to set off in all of the patrol cars earlier that day, a masterful display of his genius if he did say so himself (and he did, often), so the only car available to hold them in was a perfectly ordinary one. Not that that would make too much of a difference to the humiliation if anyone decided to take a picture of them locked together like this.

**“Oh so you don’t want me to break us out of these handcuffs then, okay fine, I won’t, we’ll just sit here.”** Edward really could sound like a child when he whined, and Oswald was sure he would have crossed his arms in a tantrum if he'd been able to.

In the early days of their partnership, Oswald might have jumped at such a suggestion, taken back his angry tone and encouraged his friend to continue his work. But things were a little different now; he knew the man too well to fall for such a trick. **“Nice try Ed, but I know when you’re bluffing.”**

**“No you don’t,”** the taller man mumbled back in defence but otherwise dropped the argument and went back to staring out of the window of the car in a decidedly sullen manner. So okay, possibly, he didn’t actually have a plan right now, but he’d think of something. He always did, didn’t he? They’d been in worse hold-ups before and he’d always got them out with the help of his brilliant mind so this would be no different!

Meanwhile… well, Edward might like to think he was the brains of the operation, but despite his certainty in his own success, Oswald was the one with the street-smarts. And the little bird was often the one responsible for fixing their problems, though he didn’t especially mind Ed taking the credit for it when it stopped him from complaining so much. Oh the self-proclaimed Riddler was a genius of course, there was no doubt about that. And no-one could arrange a heist like he could - the man could break into the highest security bank in Gotham with little more than a tablet and a remote control, and he’d know every inch of every room before he even set foot in the building. His methods were a little showy for Oz’s liking sometimes but it made his partner happy and it wasn’t too inconvenient really. Getting them out of being arrested though? That was more of a ‘Penguin’ job.

Which was why once Edward’s hands were settled and out of the way, Oswald went for the lock on the handcuffs himself, immediately inspiring a tut and a comment of, **“Such double standards,”** which only earned Edward a shush in response. The difference between the Riddler’s attempt and his was that Oswald had been in these things far more often than Ed had. Which was why the silver cuff-links of his shirt now hid a thin, curved lock-pick within them designed especially for this eventuality. And once that was in hand, it only took him a couple of seconds to earn the pleasing _click_ as the handcuffs fell open onto the seat between them.

Edward’s eyebrows did actually raise in surprise as he watched his friend at work, and he found himself adding, **“Could you get me a pair of those?”** before he’d even realised he was speaking. Oswald was smirking at the impressed tone of his partner’s voice as he pushed the handcuffs aside and refastened the cuff of his shirt. Now they just had the car itself to deal with, but Ed seemed to be one step ahead of him on that one. **“They never know what to look for when they check my pockets, do they?”** he practically purred at Oz, the excitement clear in his voice as he slipped his hand into a hidden inside pocket of his jacket to retrieve what looked like a suspiciously thick white playing card, with a collection of imprints and clickers running along its surface. A bit of expert fiddling, and a moment later one of the buttons on the card was clicked, and the doors on either side of them unlocked themselves like the key itself had been pressed.

**“And you could furnish me with one of those in return?”** Oswald requested quickly as the pair of them scrambled for the handles while the police officers slowly turned towards the beeping noise they’d heard.

**“Of course, it’s a fair trade then,”** Ed shot back as he dived out of the car and behind the one parked beside it, losing Oswald in the ensuing chaos as he slipped silently between two buildings and out of sight before the police could do more than fire off a few hopeful shots of their guns.

It took them only a few moments to meet up again, backs pressed against a wall in an alley nearby while they waited for the sounds of the officers shouting to each other to die down and let them know they were safe again. **“Perfect teamwork old friend,”** Oswald chirped happily, offering a hand for the other man to shake.

**“We do compliment each other rather well, don’t we?”** Ed returned with a grin, shaking the proffered hand and immediately plotting what their next little adventure should begin with. **“How about an art museum this time, hmm?”**


End file.
